The Wayne Chronicles
by Elpiza
Summary: Formerly titled "Drabbles", a collection of drabbles/one-shots,featuring Batman/Bruce Wayne and his family. Will add in the future; rated T just in case. R&R please!
1. First time

I don't own, everything is DC's property (sigh)

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I. First time

Orange flames illuminated the figures ensconced on the sofa. Hands entwined, they savored a rare moment of peace.

Leaning on her Knight's shoulder, the Princess looked idly at the play of light and dark, subconsciously playing with his fingers.

Smiling inwardly at the familiarity of the gesture, he nuzzled her sweet smelling hairs, watching delightedly as lustrous curls

stretched and bounced from his plays.

"Sorry, sir, the bat-signal is on."

"Go"she said a light nudge.

For the first time he resented the mission.

A light kiss on his lips."Go. I will be here when you return."

And also for the first time he was anxious to shorten his outing to the minimum indispensable.

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Reviews are appreciated, and constructive criticisms are welcomed.


	2. Regret

II. Regret

Watching the children play on the grounds, she sat basking contently in the warm spring sun.

"Princess"

"You're early"

Seeing him watching the children, she was surprised to see sadness and grief on his face.

"Is something wrong?"

He turned to her, grimness etched on his brows.

"Sometimes I regret this"

She couldn't believe her ears "You regret our children? Our life? Our HAPPINESS?!"

"Diana...I regret that someday we will leave you, and I know how it is to lose loved ones..." He turned away.

"Bruce" she took hold of his chin and turned him back.

"No matter what, I will never regret this life with you and our children. Do you hear me? NEVER!"

Looking in her deep blue eyes, the Knight saw her truth, which allayed some of his fears ...for now.


	3. Affectionate

III. Affectionate

Groggy from sleep, she froze when she felt another warm body in the bed.

'What...'

Cautiously, she reached out until she touched luscious fur, jolting back her memories.

'Circe!'

The previous encounter with the sorceress replayed in her mind, as well as the aftermath.

'How will I explain this to Alfred and Tim...' she sighed as she looked her bedmate.

A six foot long black jaguar occupied the other side of the bed, turned on its side, apparently sleeping.

As though sensing her, the beast slitted its eyes, gazing at her with an icy blue stare.

"What will I tell your family?"she asked it, scratching behind its ears.

When she tried to get off the bed, the jaguar suddenly pounced on her. She found herself pinned to the bed by deadly paws, and by its head on her breasts.

"All right, I will stay a while" The jaguar seemed to calm down, and she could hear it purring loudly...

'Who would have thought that the Dark Knight could be so affectionate in another form?' she chuckled inwardly.

Burying her face in the soft fur, and smelling the slightly unfamiliar musky scent, the Princess and the Beast fell asleep again...


	4. Excuse me

First I want to thank all those who kindly gave their reviews: The-Lady-Isis, HawkAngel XD and Geeky BMWW Fan.

Thank you again for you comments, and I'm so glad you liked them.

I want also to thank The-Lady-Isis for betaing (*big hug*)

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As usual, I own nothing, DC owns it all.

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IV. Excuse me

"Excuse me."

Stepping aside from Diana as soon as the kidnapping begun, Bruce rushed to find a secluded place where he could change into the batsuit. He glanced back at the kidnappers to assess the situation...and saw Diana tear off the excess length of her skirt.

Admiring her long legs, he thought with a light smirk, 'Sometimes it is highly convenient not having a secret identity.'

Seeing Diana take charge of the situation, he decided to leave the matter to her. Adjusting his bow tie, he approached a laden table, picked up a canapé and popped it in his mouth.

'Good, we have action, drinks, and something better than popcorn,' thought Bruce, watching Diana going against the kidnappers that were attacking her from midair.

After a while one of the kidnappers was flung toward the table near him, trashing it. 'There go the refreshments,' he thought, admiring Diana's graceful flight around the room and under a model rocket.

By the time the grand finale came, when Diana brought down a helicopter, in Bruce's mind the action he just witnessed was way better than any action movie he had recently viewed.

Of course, it was a real pity that he couldn't tease his Princess about it.


	5. Give and Take

V. Give And Take

A chilly wind blew through the desolate cemetery. The sound of footsteps crunching the frost covered ground announced that visitors had braved the weather to honor the memory of their departed loved ones. A couple wound through the headstones, until they reached one isolated on a low hilltop, under a barren tree.

"Mom, Dad...I would like you to meet your grandchildren."

Two toddlers, swaddled in heavy winter wear, trained their bright blue eyes to the headstone. Each had a red rose in their chubby little hands.

The adults lowered the children, and they dropped the roses on the ground. The man looked at the headstone with infinite sadness in his eyes.

Feeling a soft little hand patting at his cheek, he lowered his gaze to look at the bundle in his arms. Cheeks pink from the frigid air, his daughter waved and cooed at him; at the sight, he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling creeping into his heart.

Life could be unbelievably cruel, taking his parents from him with a senseless tragedy. But life could also bring hope and happiness, giving him two precious presents on the anniversary of the same day it had taken from him.

The woman looked as the sadness melted from her husband's eyes, and she prayed that time and their children will help him heal completely.

As they made their way back, it began to snow. It was the year's first snow...soon the ground will be covered with an immaculate white carpet.

Looking at the snow, the man hoped that one day, the world will be as it is when covered in snow: pure and bright.

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A/N: Many thanks again to The-Lady-Isis!!


	6. Am I Blue?

A/N: thanks again to Lady Isis for the beta, and as usual I don't own a thing.

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VI. Am I blue?

_  
Am I blue?_

_Am I blue?_

_Ain't these tears in my eyes telling you...?_

Bruce awoke from a dreamless sleep hearing a very familiar song playing in the background.

"Bruce, are you awake?"

Following his wife's soft inquiry, Bruce left the bed and went to their suite's sitting room. Diana was sprawled on the wide couch, with baby Terry napping on her chest. The twins were lying on their stomach on the carpet. The television was on.

"Good morning, Princess," he said with a kiss on her cheek.

"'Morning, dear," she returned the kiss.

"Good morning, Daddy!" piped the twins, without taking their eyes from the screen.

"What are you seeing?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard it," replied Diana with a sly smirk.

"Heard what...?" Bruce suddenly shut up, as he realize what was playing on the screen. It was the infamous scene at the Amphitheater in Mikonos. "Where did you...?"

"Zatanna was so kind to give me copy of your first - and hopefully not last - solo"

"I didn't know Zatanna had recorded THAT," growled an annoyed Bruce, plopping onto the couch beside Diana.

"You're not the only one with good blackmail material in this house, Bruce."

Diana, having seen that tape a lot (really lots) of times, was more interested in observing Bruce's expression. She could see that he was clearly annoyed, but, knowing him as she did, she could discern a slight...satisfaction in his eyes. She wasn't sure she could go as far as to called it smugness...But it was definitely there.

With an evil smile, Diana considered whether to anonymously send the tape to the Flash, so that Batman would be included in the next League karaoke contest, or use the tape as leverage against Bruce...just in case.


	7. Wondertot

VII. Wondertot

Groaning, Bruce cracked open one eye. It was already morning. He felt like he had been run over by a 12-wheeled truck the night before.

Glumly, he recalled last night's patrol. Robin and Batgirl had their hands full with a sudden rush of petty crimes, Nightwing had been occupied in Bludhaven with a serious case, and, to top it all, there had been another mass-breakout from Arkham. He and the GCPD had managed to catch most of the inmates before they got far; unfortunately, Killer Croc and Bane had managed to land a few hits on him before been locked up.

'I'm getting too old for this,' he thought. Within the next blink of an eye, he realized, shocked, that he was beginning to consider retirement from his night job. 'Must really been getting too old...'

Since the other side of the bed was empty, Diana must already been up to take care of the baby. Hearing sounds from the nursery, he crawled off the bed and followed the sounds.

Diana was sitting in the padded rocking chair, trying to rein in a very active baby Terry.

"You look like death warmed over," commented Diana after a glance to him.

"Thank you very much, you just made my day," replied a grouchy and aching Bruce.

"Do you need J'onn to take a look?"

"No, no serious injuries. I have only lots and lots of bruises. Nothing a good, long soaking can't relieve."

"Still, at least have Alfred or Leslie take a look."

"I appreciate your concern, Princess, but it's not necessary."

"Alright, I give up," harrumped Diana, then murmured, "stubborn bat..."

"Look who's talking," smirked Bruce.

Having had the last word, Bruce turned his attention to the baby, who was trying very hard to crawled off Diana.

"How is our resident troublemaker doing this morning?" he asked his son.

Hearing another familiar voice, baby Terry homed in to his father's position, and holding out his arms, tried to reach Bruce. Chuckling, Bruce bent to take Terry...And was promptly knocked off his feet.

"Bruce, are you all right?"

Bruce came back hearing his wife's voice. The worried tone could not cover the mirth that Diana was trying to cover.

"What happend...? Ouch, my jaw hurts."

"It seems that Terry is even more precocious than the twins."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you were knocked off your feet by a well-placed head butt from Terry." The mirth was openly discernible now.

"What?!"

"It seems that our Terry is already displaying one of his gifts: flight."

An incredulous Bruce, nursing an aching jaw, sat up and looked at his wife and son. "You mean, Terry..."

"Just took off trying to reach you, but unfortunately your jaw was in the way." Diana was openly laughing now.

'Great, now I have one more baby-sized headache to take care of...' Bruce felt his headache worsen at the thought of trying to keep up with a flying baby. 'This is why I hate metas...'


	8. Bridges

A/N:Many many thanks to all who were so kind to leave a review: your reviews are my reason to continuing^^

And again many thanks to Lady Isis for beta reading (looking forward to your next story and chapters)

As usual, I own nothing, or everything I wrote would have happened XD

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VIII. Bridges

Looking at the baby bed, Hippolyta saw the two newborns sleeping angelically side by side.

"Aren't they cute?" whispered an excited, proud Diana.

Caressing one soft pink cheek, Hippolyta told her daughter, "They look just like you did when you were their age."

"Really?" beamed Diana. "I think they resemble their father more."

"Nonsense," scoffed Hippolyta. "Their Amazon heritage is obvious for anyone to see."

Diana chuckled softly. "Oh, Mother. And I thought Bruce's ego was big enough."

Hippolyta chuckled at her daughter's words, and turned back to the infants. "They're really so tiny and fragile looking." She bent and scooped up one of the infants.

"So much so you want to shield them from all the dangers in the world," agreed Diana.

"Rest assured, the goddesses have agreed to bestow gifts to your children as well, so they will not be powerless against threats."

Hippolyta turned back, and saw that the infant was awake and alert: the most gorgeous pair of icy blue eyes was staring at her.

Fascinated, Hippolyta begun to examine the infant: the chubby pink cheeks, big blue eyes, a tiny bow of mouth; she was especially charmed by the tiny hands.

Trying to play with the tiny little fingers, Hippolyta was pleasantly surprised by feeling her finger been gripped by the tiny hand.

"She already has your grip. What is her name?" The query was met by a moment of silence.

Then, "_His_ name is Thomas; Thomas Clark Wayne, your grandson," came the hesitant answer.

Stunned, Hippolyta looked at the infant in her arms: a male? Slightly panicked, she tried to gauge her feelings toward the baby boy. But she found that no matter how much she had suffered at the hands of a man, she could not find in her heart any emotion other than unconditional love for the son of her precious daughter.

Diana looked anxiously at the still form of Hippolyta. She was ready to take Thomas from her when suddenly...Hippolyta's expression changed, from stunned to infinite love and caring. Looking at her Mother's softened visage, Diana felt tears gathering in her eyes. Maybe...maybe this bundle of hope would be able to mend what was damaged so long ago, and truly become the bridge between Themiscyra and Man's World. Diana hoped so.


	9. Private Party

IX. Private party

Music drifted from the ballroom to the family wing. The annual charity ball hosted by the Waynes was in full swing.

"Thea, are you awake?" whispered a ghostly figure, inching stealthily toward the big bed.

Sheets rustled softly when the figure on the bed sat up. "What are you doing here Thomas? We're supposed to be sleeping," hissed a girl's voice. "Wait until Daddy finds out..."

"Daddy is occupied at the moment," came the smug reply.

"Really?"

"Yeah, so are you coming or not?"

"All right, wait a sec."

Two ghostly figures moved stealthily down the corridors of Wayne Manor. Reaching the end of a corridor, they open a small door that lead to the servants' wing. From there, they snuck into the higher levels of the ballroom, where they had a panoramic view of the room.

"I'm not seeing them."

"They must still be in their room."

"Let's go."

They snuck back toward their parents' room. Opening the hidden door in the walk-in closet, the twins made a beeline toward their parents' bedroom.

The bedroom's only lighting was the fire from the fireplace. Bruce, resplendent in his custom-made tuxedo, was watching his beautiful wife getting ready for the ball. When she finished fastening the pearl earrings, Diana looked at her husband's face in the mirror. She chuckled inwardly at the blatant lust shining in Bruce's eyes.

"I'm ready, let's go."

"Not so fast, Princess."

Before Diana could protest, Bruce swept her off her feet, and before she could say a thing, she felt his lips on hers in a crushing, passionate kiss.

From their hiding spot, the twins were slightly disgusted by their parents' open display. 'Eww,' was their common thought.

When Diana regained her wits, she found herself wrapped tightly in her husband's arms, with her own arms around his neck, fingers digging into his hair.

"How about we skip the party and have a private ball here by ourselves? After all, I still owe you...Let me see, how many dances?"

"Bruce...We're the hosts, we should make an appearance..."

"Let Dick and Barbara play hosts. It's a good occasion for Dick to practice for his new role."

"You planned this, didn't you?" asked Diana, raising an eyebrow.

"Guilty as charged," grinned Bruce, sensing victory approaching.

"All right, you have me convinced."

"Wonderful! Excuse the pun." Bruce was smiling like a cat who just ate the canary.

"But first...shouldn't we get rid of our uninvited audience?"

"Don't worry about them, they will rush back to their rooms in no time."

"If you say so..."

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne had their own ball in the privacy of their suite, and, as Bruce predicted, the uninvited guests, totally bored by seeing their parents slow dancing, went back to their room before the first dance was over.


	10. Not again

A/N: thanks to all my reviewers, and Lady Isis for the beta (her stories are highly recommended if you haven't read them yet^^).

As always, all is owned by DC.

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X. Not again...

Stepping into his room, Bruce let out a long, weary sigh. It had been a long day at WE, with one stockholder meeting after another. He would have loved nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep until patrol time, but tonight he had an engagement.

It was the night of his first date with Diana. After months of skirmishes and dancing around the issue of whether or not getting involved in a relationship, he had finally cracked under his Princess's persistence.

True to his private (paranoid, as Diana liked to term it) nature, he had insisted on keeping their relationship hidden from the League and the world; reluctantly, albeit, Diana had accepted his condition, although he could see from her expression that his Princess was not going to let him keep it secret for long.

'Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there,' he thought tiredly.

Moving around the room like a zombie, he set out to get ready for dinner. He had convinced Diana that dinner at the manor was best for a first date. After he had reminded her of Alfred's culinary prowess, Diana had accepted enthusiastically.

He was fastening his dress shirt when he heard a rustling in a corner of his room. Suddenly alert, he moved swiftly but stealthily to the source of the noise. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. "Not again..." he groaned.

In the corner, gobbling avidly from a bowl full of fresh fruits, was a sixty pound pink pig.

Shaken, Bruce felt his legs give way, and collapsed in one of the wing chairs. 'What will I have to do this time to break the spell?' he thought, with a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. But Batman wasn't one to succumb to despair, so Bruce stood up with renewed energy and purpose.

'I'll have to contact Zatanna, and find Circe's whereabouts...again,' he thought, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Where do you think you're going, mister?" Suddenly a female voice sounded from the bathroom door.

"I'm busy now, talk to you later."

"Busy? What happened? Problems in Gotham?"

"No, it's Circe."

"Circe!! What did that witch do this time!"

"She..." Bruce had regained his faculties by now, and recognized the voice talking to him. "Diana..."

"What did Circe do this time?" asked a belligerent Amazon Princess. "Erh...She...You..."

"What, Bruce?"

This time the Dark Knight was on the receiving end of an Amazon death glare, and felt a shade of brilliant red creeping up his neck and face. Trying hard to curb his embarassement, Bruce pointed to the chubby visitor still stuffing its face in the corner of the room. "I thought..."

"What, you thought that Circe had struck again?" asked Diana with a smirk.

"Well, you can't blame a man for jumping to conclusions after seeing that..." replied a really embarassed Bruce.

"I know, but this is just too funny!" Diana couldn't resist anymore and began to laugh. "Wait until Kal and Wally hear about this..."

"Not one word will cross the threshold of this room, Princess," growled Bruce with a batglare.

"Nice try, Bruce, but you know it doesn't work on me," replied an even more amused Diana.

Bruce knew it, so his formidable mind was already working on a plan, on how to use their date to convince the Princess to forget the whole incident...


	11. Raison d'être

A/N: After much fluff, I wanted to try my hand at some emotional scene.

Many thanks to Lady Isis for betaing and for your insight, you're the best^^

As always, don't own a thing, and I'm not profiting.

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XI. Raison d'être

Gazing pensively at the orange flames, the Amazon princess was curled in the couch, thinking, waiting for the owner of the manor to return.

It was almost dawn when she finally heard the grandfather clock move, and tired steps sounded from the hidden passage.

"Princess, what are you doing up at this hour?" asked Bruce with a weary voice.

"We need to talk."

Cocking an eyebrow, Bruce found it humorous to be addressed with a phrase he had thrown to her so many times. "So talk, I'm not going anywhere. But make it quick, it's been a long night."

"Very well, Bruce, I'll make it quick," replied Diana with a sigh. "How long have we known each other?"

"Why the sudden question?"

"Just answer me."

"At least six years by now."

"And how long have we've been dating?"

"...Year and a half?"

"Right. So, after knowing each other for so long, and having seen each other privately for sometime, how would you describe our relationship?"

"Look, Princess, I don't know where are you going with the inquisition, but if you want to discuss this, I don't feel I'm up for this right now..."

"Don't fob me off, Bruce!" said an angry Diana, thumping on the side table.

Over the years, Diana had curbed her natural Amazon impulsiveness, so it was indeed rare to see his Princess lose control.

"I'm not fobbing you off, but I think this is not a good time for deep discussion."

"And when do you propose to have such discussion? YOU'RE NEVER HERE!"

Facing an infuriated Amazon, Bruce was trying very hard not to lose his patience. "Princess, you know that Gotham comes first for me."

"Yes, I knew it when I entered this relationship, but I thought that if you cared for me, you would have found space for me...for us..." She huffed in frustration at getting off track. This wasn't about Gotham. "No, that's not what I mean, I...I thought you would have found time to tell me what you think, what you feel about our relationship. And you never have. You've always found something else to do, something that requires your immediate attention. I know Gotham comes first, I accepted that when we entered into this, but I refuse to accept you using it as an excuse – and that is exactly what you are doing!"

Looking at Bruce for his reaction, she noticed his demeanor: fists tighten, facing away from her, with his customary stoic expression in place.

'So this is it...' she thought wearily.

Bruce heard her sigh, so he looked at her: she was facing away from him, looking out through the large window, her shoulders hunched, her demeanor shouting her defeat and weariness.

"Princess..." he stopped when she held up one arm.

"Bruce, since your feelings for me can't make you care enough to find time for us, then it is better that we end this now."

"...What do you mean?"

She turned to face him, sadness plainly visible on her beautiful face. "I think that it is better if we cease to see each other privately, and maintain only a working relationship."

At her words, Bruce felt a hollow space appear where his heart should be. "Are you breaking up with me, Princess?" he asked, trying not to let his emotions take control.

"You're leaving me no choice. I will fly back to New York now, but I'll be back in a few days to collect my things." Without waiting for his reply, she stood up and opened the French doors.

By the time Bruce recovered, she was already gone...

Dejectedly, he finally let his emotions take over, and collapsed into the couch Diana was sitting. The faint warm that lingered on the fabric was not enough to warm his icy insides, and trying to capture her elusive sent, he wondered if he would ever feel warm again.

'You're wrong Diana...I care for you, but I'm a coward who cannot make himself say it to you.' He took his head between his hands. 'Knowing that you're here, waiting for me, it's what has kept me going so far.'

'Diana...You're my reason for being...'

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A/N2: for those of you who were wondering...The pig from the previous chapter was a token of appreciation/thank you from some natives for Wonder Woman, for rescuing them from some kind of disaster. Since Diana was in a hurry, she took it with her to the Manor.


	12. Parents and children

A/N: many thanks to all my reviewers, and to Lady Isis for the beta.

As always, don't own a thing, so don't sue.

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XII. Parents and children

Part 1-Thomas & Diana

The grounds where littered with fallen leaves in every shade of earthy colours, and more where slowly making their way to the ground, lifted by a slight wind. Autumn was approaching Gotham at its own pace. Diana loved the season, with the multicoloured leaves, fireplaces cleaned and readied to be used, roasted chestnuts, Halloween pumpkin pies and Thanksgiving turkeys. Eating for two did not help this inclination (read: obssession, from Bruce) toward food.

"Thomas, watch your step!"

"Don't worry mommy!" replied the boy, waving his hand at his mother.

Diana found a wood bench positioned under a large oak tree, and sat there to rest, while keeping a watchful eye on the roaming Thomas. Bruce was busy at his day job, and Thea was unfortunately down with a fever. Since Thomas was worried and tended to hover on his sick sister, preventing Thea from getting the needed rest, Diana had taken him outside, while Alfred kept Thea company. Thomas had railed at being separated from his twin, but a glare from his father and incentives from Alfred had convinced him to leave the manor.

Seeing that the outdoors had the desired effect, Diana watched Thomas flit through the trees, occasionally climbing over a tree that caught his fancy, or stopping to look at birds or other small animals. She suddenly felt a bump at her midsection. 'So, you want to come out and play, too?' she thought with a smile, lovingly caressing her protruding stomach. Already having the twins, Bruce and Diana didn't expect her to get pregnant again; but that didn't prevent them from welcoming this child. It helped that the twins were thrilled with the prospective of a new brother or sister to play with.

Feeling the new life growing inside her, and seeing firsthand Thomas' zest for life, Diana thought of her beloved husband. From Alfred's stories, he too had been a vivacious and joyful boy, who roamed the grounds in search of adventures.

Until that fateful night, when the wickedness of men deprived him of the cornerstones of his world. She shuddered at the thought of what Bruce had gone through during that dark period, and her heart had ached and bled when Alfred retold her of Bruce's struggles. Those talks and stories made her understand more deeply what drove him, and, if possible, they also made her love him even more. Those long hours with Alfred also set the basis for her renewed determination and constancy in pursuing a life with Bruce: a quest that she had been very unwilling to fail. And never did.

Now being a mother herself, Diana could also understand the reason the Waynes had been willing to die for: their precious boy. Diana herself felt that she could do anything, cross every line, if that meant making the world safer for her babies. But also, she had vowed to take good care of Bruce and herself, because no child of them should have to go through all that the Dark Knight have been through.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Hearing Thomas' distressed voice calling to her, Diana wiped the tears that had fallen unbidden from her eyes.

"It's nothing, baby. Just a sad thought."

"Don't be sad, Mommy. Thea will be fine soon, won't she?"

"Yes Thomas, she will."

"And in the meanwhile, Terry and I will keep you company!"

"Terry?" enquired Diana, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, Terry! He's not here yet, so we will have to wait a little more to meet him!" replied Thomas, pointing at Diana.

"Oh, so how do you know that you will have a new brother? And why Terry?"

"Because I saw him in my dreams! Thea did too!"

Diana didn't know if this was only wishful thinking from the twins, or something else...'Terry...it's a good name. Maybe if it's really a boy, we could consider calling him Terry...'

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Part 2-Bruce & Thea

"Grandpa Alfred, look at me!"

"Master Thomas, please be careful with that rake. And also, you are meant to gather the leaves, not scatter them to the four winds."

"Oops," Thomas grinned cheekily.

This was the last month of Diana's pregnacy, and she tired even more easily than normal. With the twins in the house, it was almost impossible for her to rest, so Alfred came with the idea to enlist the twins to help him with some gardening. "This will give them an outlet, and let you get some rest, madam." So with Diana's tearful (from joy) blessings, Alfred took the twins to a part of the manor's grounds they'd never been before.

"What is this, Grandpa Alfred?"

"This, Miss Thea, is Martha's Rose Garden."

"Martha...You mean Grandma Martha?"

"Excellent memory, Miss Thea."

Beaming at the aging butler, Thea looked at the rose garden. "But, I'm not seeing any roses," she said, disappointed.

"That's because it's autumn, and these roses bloom mainly in spring and summer," replied Alfred.

"Then what are we doing here?" asked a restless Thomas.

"No roses does not mean there are no other things that need to be done here. Master Thomas, please follow me." Alfred led Thomas toward a tool shack, opened the door and took out some tools. "Here Master Thomas, please use this. Your mission will be to gather all the fallen leaves you can," said Alfred, giving Thomas an adjustable rake.

"Okay!" Thomas took the rake and ran to find fallen leaves.

"And please be careful!"

"I will!"

"Miss Thea, you and I will be tending to the rose bushes."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Alfred took the garden tool set, a sack for the leaves and other refuse, and led Thea into the garden proper.

"Now Miss Thea, I will show you how to help the roses to grow better and give us more beautiful flowers when the time comes..."

Bruce stepped out from the car, and walked the short distance to his Mother's rose garden. Returning home to find only Diana resting in their room, he was informed that Alfred had taken the twins to the rose garden. Bruce still had mixed feelings about that part of the grounds: on one side, the garden was full of memories of picnics with his parents, and of his mother tending to the fragrant and colorful blooms; on the other hand, the garden also reminded him of the loss of his parents. He had taken Diana to the garden a few times to partake of the sight of the blooming roses, but other than that, he tended to avoid this side of the grounds as much as possible. With a heavy heart, Bruce walked out of the beech tree copse, and came in view of the garden.

In the distance he could see Thomas, brandishing a rake like a sword, battling an invisible foe, and scattering all the heaped leaves in the process.

'Warrior born,' Bruce chuckled mentally, and made a mental note to discuss with Diana whether they should begin to think of training for the twins. Looking around, he saw Alfred and Thea in the garden. They had pruning shears in their hands, and Alfred was showing Thea how and where to prune the bushes. Under Alfred's supervision, Thea cut some dead branches, and was commended for her efforts by Alfred.

Seeing the sweet smile on Thea's face, Bruce recalled the same expression on his mother's face, whenever he found her tending to her roses: her smile was always so luminous and carefree, and she often showed young Bruce how to tend to the bushes, smiling and laughing with him the whole time. With a pang, Bruce realized that he had sealed those memories away in the recesses of his heart, because after their death it hurt immensely to think of them. Ashamed, Bruce also realized that his mother would have been saddened by his long avoidance of the garden and related memories. It hurt, it was true, but as Alfred and then Diana liked to remind him, his parents loved him, and would have hoped for him to find happiness again. 'I undertook my mission in their memory, but instead I have sealed those happy memories away for so long...'

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Bruce was jolted from his reminiscences by Thea's excited calls. Looking ahead, he saw his daughter drop ther shears and run full force toward him. Bruce crouched, opened his arms, and waited for the impact.

"Daddy, you're home!" Thea literally flew into Bruce's arms, and was promptly closed into his strong embrace. Her nostrils filled with her father's comforting and familiar scent, Thea closed her own arms around Bruce's neck, and buried her happy little face on his shoulder. Feeling Thea's softness nestled against him, Bruce felt his heart fill with love: his for his family, and theirs for him. Then and there Bruce vowed that he would never again seal away the memories of his parents, but cherish them as an integral part of who was Bruce Wayne and the Batman.

Dropping a loving kiss on his daughter's soft raven curls, Bruce flashed a content smile to Alfred and Thomas. Relieved, Alfred noticed that his charge's eyes were devoid of the sadness that usually shadowed them at the mention of anything related to his parents. 'I really hope that the young Master and Miss will be able to complete the healing that begun with Miss Diana's coming...' Hearing Bruce promise Thea that they will come back next year to see the roses, Alfred was even more hopeful that this goal was just in sight...


	13. Sealed with a kiss

A/N: Sorry for the lateness, but I was "inFamously" occupied XD

Many thanks to the Lady Isis for the beta.

As usual, I don't own.

* * *

XIII. Sealed With a Kiss

It was one of the rare bright summer days for Gotham. It was so rare that Gothamites had turned out en mass to take pleasure in the warmth of the sun, and the park was packed with more people that usual. Families with children and dogs, couples, senior citizens...you name it, they were there. It was days like this that the population of Gotham could forget the gritty reality of their infamous city, and behave like normal citizens of any normal American city.

"Tom-tom, get over here! And bring Thea too!"

"Okay Tim!"

From his place under the shade of a large oak tree, Tim followed the progress of his younger siblings, Thomas and Theodora 'Thea' Wayne. Sitting beside him, with her head leaning on his shoulder, Cassandra looked relaxed, but Tim knew she was scanning their surrondings, ready to react to any danger.

A black-haired little boy, hand in hand with a little girl with raven curls, ran toward Tim. "Tim! Ice-cream!"

Looking at the flushed little faces before him, Tim repressed an indulgent smile, and ruffled Thomas' hair. "Not right now, buddy. If you two promise to rest for a while, we'll get you the largest sundae you've ever seen."

"Deal!" replied Thomas, with eyes twinkling at the prospect of a large sundae.

Cassandra took out two towels, and the adults proceeded to dry the children's sweaty hair. Thomas was really excited by the park's sights and sounds, but Cassandra noticed Thea's subdued mood.

"What's wrong, honey?"

Thea looked at her older sister. "I miss Daddy..." blurted Thea, beginning to cry.

Cassandra looked at Thea's tear-stained pink cheeks, hurting for the little girl.

"He'll be all right, sweetie. Your mommy and Alfred and the doctors will take good care of him."

"I know, but it's been so long since we last saw Daddy..." cried Thea, heartbroken.

The two males looked in horror at the crying little girl: Tim, like all males, was uneasy when dealing with a tearful female, and Thomas, reminded of his father, was on the verge of crying himself. Looking at Thomas' quivering bottom lip, Tim cast a desperate look to Cassandra.

_Men!_ thought an annoyed Cassandra. Taking action, Cass hugged the twins. Enveloped in a comforting embrace, Thea seemed to calm down, and Thomas was able to refrain from crying. With a relieved sigh, Tim thought of the last hellish week.

The whole Bat-clan had been shocked when Batman was injured during an investigation on a series of high profile thefts. He had discovered that someone (probably Grodd or Luthor) had commissioned the Joker to steal many hightech components and machinery from various Gotham companies, including Wayne Tech. Deducing the villains' next target, Batman had laid a trap for them. Unfortunately, he had not taken account of the extra muscle the Joker had prepared. With Robin, Batgirl and Nightwing engaging the Joker's minions, Batman had gone after the clown himself.

What he didn't expect was being cornered by Bane and Killer Croc, both bent on stopping him by any and all means. By the time the others had dispatched the thugs, they found that Batman had been able to subdue the two monsters, but in the process had sustained a broken collarbone, several broken ribs, a broken wrist, multiple fractures to his left leg, and a smashed cheek bone. Stubborn as ever, Batman had ignored his associates' entreaties to treat his injuries, and had insisted on catching the Joker before he got too far away.

Unfortunately his injuries were more severe than anybody thought, and he collapsed before the horrified eyes of the whole Bat-clan. Diana and Oracle arranged for an emergency teleport to the Watchtower, feeling that J'onn and the technology at the Watchtower would be better suited to save him. That had been eight days ago.

Sighing, Tim recalled the grimness on Diana's face when she finally called them to inform them on Bruce's status. The emergency surgery lasted almost 13 hours, and the doctors found that Batman had sustained massive internal injuries in addition to the boken bones. They were able to repair the majority of the internal lacerations, but they had to remove his ruptured spleen. In addition, he had lost a large amount of blood, so the doctors were not optimistic regarding his chances.

Stubbornly, Diana had refused to leave Bruce's side, and it had been heartbreaking to see her there, sitting in the ICU, clinging to Bruce's hand. Maybe it was Diana, or maybe Bruce was still too stubborn to die, but he made it through the night, and in the following days his conditions had stabilized. If everything went smoothly, he could be home in a couple of days, but will need to refrain to every activity for a while; a long while.

Bruce's injuries had been hard on the whole clan, but the twins were hit the hardest, since it was the first time in their life they had been separated for a period of time from their parents. With their parents missing for so long, they had pestered Alfred and their older siblings about their whereabouts. Seeing that his young charges were incapable to come up with a convincing story, Alfred delved into his years of experience and concocted a rather convincing story.

Unfortunately, none of the adults knew that Thomas had found out one of the entrances to the cave, and one night, when Alfred was briefed by Diana on Bruce's status, he suddenly heard the twins cry out from somewhere at his back. Shocked, he saw the twins run from their hiding place, calling to their mother all the time. Diana, already under heavy stress from Bruce's situation, broke in tears at the sight of her babies. Therefore Alfred had to calm down one very emotional Amazon, and two very emotional children. After accomplishing this feat, and reassuring Diana that he would take good care of them, he had ushered the children to bed. That had been four days ago.

Returning to the present, Tim was startled by Thea's tearful voice. "Tim, why is Daddy hurt?" hiccuped the little girl.

The twins had been exceptionally perceptive about their father's condition, and they had been so depressed that Tim and Cassandra, in view of the good weather, had decided that they needed to be cheered up with a trip to the park.

His heart melting at the sight of his little sister, Tim took Thea in his arms. "Thea, what did you feel when your daddy and mommy were missing for so many days?" he asked, wiping her tears with a gentle hand.

"I...I felt like my heart broke, and there was a huuuge hole at its place," motioned Thea.

Tim nodded. "That's exactly what I felt when my real dad died. And it's what many other people in Gotham feel, every day."

Thea looked at him quizzically "Why there are so many people suffering?"

"Because there are many bad people who hurt them, or hurt the most important people in their lives."

"Then we have to find a way to stop these bad people from hurting the good people!" said Thea indignantly.

Tim looked at her, trying to hide his amusement at her outburst. "Right, we have to stop them from hurting people. This is what your daddy, Dick, Babs, Cassandra and I are doing."

"Really?" asked a marvelling Thea, echoed by Thomas. "Cool!"

"Yes, but in the process of stopping bad people, we may get hurt, like your daddy."

"Then I don't want you to do it! I don't want you all to get hurt!" Thea seemed on the verge of another crying outburst.

"Do you remember the hole, Thea? Would you like other people to feel it too?"

"...No. But...!" stammered the little girl.

"That's why your daddy fights so hard, Thea, so that other people don't feel that hole in their hearts, so that other people don't have to be separated from the people most important to them."

"...I understand...But I still don't like to see daddy hurt!" pouted Thea.

At this display of infinite cuteness, Tim lost his battle with his amusement. "Then I promise you that we will all look after your daddy, and will deliver him home safely," he replied with a large grin.

"You have to promise me also that you and Dick and Babs and Cass will take care, too!"

"I promise you, honey, that we will all take care of ourselves, and come back home safely every day," replied Tim, sealing his promise with a kiss on Thea's forehead.


	14. Wondertot part 2

A/N: Sorry for the long abscence, but I finally finished my first run of inFamous ^^

Many many thanks as always to my wonderful beta Lady Isis.

As usual, don't own a thing except for the story.

* * *

XIV. Wondertot part 2

"Alfred, we're going to the park. Please remember to..."

"Go and pick up the young master and miss from school. Please don't be worried, Master Bruce, I never forget what to do," replied Alfred, cocking an eyebrow.

A slightly embarassed Bruce waved his butler-cum-surrogate-father goodbye, and raced to join Diana, already outside with Terry seated in his stroller. Diana, having heard the exchange, was trying very hard not to burst out laughing, and received a bat-glare for her efforts. "Let's go," said Diana, passing the stroller to Bruce. Bruce huffed annoyed, and the couple, arm in arm, set for the park.

It was a beautiful May day. When they arrived to the park, the Waynes found it filled with mothers sitting at benches or under the trees, gossiping, and children playing. They found an unoccupied spot under a sprawling magnolia tree, the ground beneath thick with fallen petals. Bruce took out a checkered blanket, and set it on the ground amist the petals, which formed a thick cushion for them to sit on. Bruce took Terry from the stroller, put him in the middle of the blanket, and sat with his back to the tree trunk. Diana sat on the other side, and threw Terry a small ball to play with.

Terry was 6 months old, but he was already proving to be a bigger headache to his parents than his older siblings. Other than the infamous "head-butt incident" when he was just two months old, he was constantly escaping the care of his mother and Alfred, so much so that Diana, exasperated, one day joked to Bruce, saying that Terry ,"Will be an even greater escape artist than his father."

Bruce was unable to laugh much at the joke, since after been knocked off his feet by his two month son, he was always very careful when handling Terry. But all this didn't change the fact that Terry was loved by his whole family.

The baby soon became distracted by the petals falling from the tree, and abadoned his ball. He tried to stand up to chase them, but his chubby legs were still unable to fully support his weight. So he had to content himself to play with the petals he could find around him.

A striking (and famous) couple like Bruce and Diana was impossible not to notice among so many women, so it was not long before the first women made a beeline for the Waynes' tree. Soon they were surrounded by a throng of women: some were using the pretense of looking at Terry to covertly ogle Bruce, while others were genuinly interested in cooing at Terry. Diana, for her part, was amused to have been totally ignored by the throng of women, and was curious to see how her husband would extricate himself and his son from this situation.

Bruce, due to his long years in the spotlight as Gotham's most eligible playboy billionaire, took the attention with aplomb, but contrary to his old playboy days, he was careful to treat the women in a way that none would have mistaken for flirtatious. With the onlookers group growing bigger, soon Bruce found an excuse to extricate himself, and in all haste left the blanket to reach Diana's position under a nearby tree.

Diana saw Bruce fight his way out, but it wasn't until he reached her that she spotted the problem. "Where is Terry?"

"Er...I needed a diversion for my escape," Bruce's sheepish answer was greeted by an Amazon death glare. "So you left him there to those..."

"Well, I thought that for all his cuteness he should be safe there, maybe only have very red cheeks..."

"Bruce, sometimes I have to wonder how in Elysium did you get to be considered the World's Greatest Detective. Have you forgotten who we're dealing with? It's not Terry I'm worried about, it's _them_!" hissed an exasperated Diana, pointing to the women.

As a lightbulb went on in his head, Bruce muttered, "Uh oh..."

Terry was used to seeing lots of people around: after all, his was a pretty large family; but he was not used to been manhandled by so many women, and he expecially hated been pinched on his chubby cheeks. In facts, his cheeks were beginning to pass the pink stage and get into red. Feeling very uncomfortable, and not seeing either of his parents' familiar face, Terry was getting in a bad mood. A very bad mood.

Their first clue that something had gone awry was a high pitched scream from the general direction of where Terry was surrounded. Alarmed, Diana fought her way through the women, who where now backing away from an unseen threat. Reaching the center, Diana saw...Terry giving his version of the bat-glare to one of the women, while at the same time clutching her finger in his little hand. "Help me! He's crushing my finger!" whined the woman.

"Terry, baby, let go of the lady." Hearing his mother's familiar voice, Terry let go of his prisoner to turn to where his mother was, and under the astonished gaze of all the presents, he took off and floated to Diana. _Here it goes another possible spot, _thought Diana, rolling her eyes. Terry reached his mother, and Diana, quickly grabbing the blanket and the stroller, and holding Terry tight, made a dash for the park's exit. When the women regained their wits, there was no sign of the Waynes other than a few petals fluttering in the air...

From his vantage point on the tree, Bruce mentally ticked off another park from the list of "welcoming" parks . '12 down, 13 to go...'


	15. Promises

A/N: As always, don't own.

* * *

XV. Promises

The grandfather clock opened with a creak; slow heavy steps sounded from the opening, and a while later a tired Bruce closed the secret passage.

Nearing the master suite, Bruce noticed the light filtering from below the nursery's doors. Suspicious because of the lateness, he moved stealthily toward the door, and found it ajar. Slightly alarmed, he opened the door silently, thankful that Alfred kept the hinges well oiled. Peeking into the room, Bruce saw two small figures, standing before the baby bassinet, illuminated by the night light. Recognizing the twins, Bruce relaxed his stance, and was about to approach and reproach them for being up at this late hour, when he heard them talking in hushed tones. Curious, he retreated into a shadowy corner and listened.

"Terry, welcome to this world. I'm Thomas, your big brother, and this is Thea, your sister."

Thea snikered at Thomas' words. "You're not the big brother; we have Dick and Tim."

Slightly embarassed by his twin's rebuff, Thomas continued "Whatever. We are your big brother and sister, but there are others, and you will meet them soon."

Bruce saw him try to reach and touch Terry's chubby cheeks.

"Other than Dick, Tim and us, there is also Cassandra, who is like a sister, and then Barbara, Dick's fiancee'," enumerated Thomas.

"Don't forget Grandpa Alfred and Grandma Hippolyta," reminded Thea.

"I'm was getting to them," replied Thomas, annoyed. "You have already met Grandpa Alfred. He isn't really our grandpa, but since he takes care of all the family, we like to call him grandpa. Wait until you try his cookies! Ouch! What was that for, Thea?"

Thea glared to Thomas, who was rubbing the spot were she had hit him. "Terry's still too young for the cookies, so cut the babbling."

Bruce almost laughed aloud at Thomas' pouting and Thea's glaring, but he wasn't ready to reveal his presence to the kids yet.

"Grandma Hippolyta will be arriving tomorrow, so you will meet her very soon. She is mommy's mommy, and she's an Am...Amathon? Ouch! Thea!"

"Amazon, little man!" His latest blunder earned him another glare from Thea.

"Well, since you don't like what I have to say, let's see if you can do better!" challenged Thomas.

"Very well, step aside." Thea approached the bassinet. "Grandma Hippolyta is the queen of the Amazons, and they are all great warriors. So Grandma has promised us that she will train us when we are old enough. I'm sure that you will be able to train with us when you are older," continued Thea.

"Tomorrow, you will also meet our other grandparents, Grandpa Thomas and Grandma Martha. They are daddy's parents, but they will not able to meet you in person, since they have been gone...for a long time." After a slight pause, Thea resumed. "You may wonder why they cannot meet you. You see, Terry, in this world there are many bad people who want and can hurt the good people. Sometimes they hurt them directly, and other times they hurt the people most important to them."

"I know that this is unfair, and nobody likes to be hurt. So this is why Daddy and Mommy, and Dick, Tim, Barbara and Cassandra, all fight to protect the good people in Gotham and in the world." At this point Thea's voice was slightly choked with emotion. "So when they are away, fighting to protect others, Thomas and I will be protecting our home, and protect you and Grandpa Alfred from harm. Because if the bad people find out that we are the most important people to our parents and our older brothers, they will try to hurt us to hurt them, and we cannot allow them to use us." A deep breath. "Therefore, three years ago, when Daddy was hurt...badly, Tim promised us that he and the others would take care of themselves. In return, we made a promise to take care of ourselves and Grandpa Alfred, and now, we promise you that we will do all we can to protect you from harm. So that Daddy and the others don't have to worry about us when they are out there." Having finished, Thea reached for Terry, and deposited a kiss on his forehead. "As Tim promised us, we so make our promise to you, Terry."

Astounded by his daughter's speech, Bruce stepped out from the shadows. "Thomas...Thea..." Startled, the twins turned to Bruce. "Daddy! You're home!" Soon Bruce was tackled by the twins, and enveloped them in a bear hug. Burying his face into their dark hair, Bruce smelled their fresh, innocent scents: flowery with a hint of sweetness from Thea, outdoors with a hint of sweat from Thomas. Enveloped in their father's comforting embrace, the twins were reminded of their father's dangerous mission, and, happy to see him safe and sound, begun to sob. "Now, now. I'm here, without a scratch. Hush, or you will wake Terry," crooned Bruce, trying to calm the twins.

By the time Diana was up to feed Terry, she found Bruce, sitting in her padded rocking chair, with a lapful of sleeping twins, also asleep. Moved by the picture of father and children, Diana deposited a kiss on her husband's forehead, and one on each of her children's.

"Sweet dreams, my little sun and little star. Sweet dreams, my love."


	16. War and Peace

A/N: sorry for the long absence, but my work demanded my full attention. Fortunately, I hope that I will be able to update more frenquently.

Thanks to all that reviewed and liked my stories, and a big hug to my beta, Lady Isis. Your stories rock! Looking forward to them :D

* * *

XVI. War and Peace

Suddenly awake, Diana felt the other side of the bed dip, signaling the return of the manor's master. Letting go of a sense of fear she didn't know was weighting her down, Diana thanked the gods and goddesses for Bruce's safe return. As she breathed with more ease, Diana turned to the other side, trying to relax and fall back asleep.

Minutes ticked by. Diana found it impossible to relax and go back to sleep. She was also aware that the man lying on the other side of the bed was equally rigid and alert. Minutes turned to hours. Diana felt her muscles beginning to protest the prolonged rigidity of her body. She could also sense that Bruce was still awake.

'_This is ridiculous_,' she thought. For all of their stubbornness, if they did not resolve this matter quickly, neither of them would be able to rest. Taking a fortifying breath, Diana turned to face Bruce.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Diana, I'm sorry..."

Startled, they stopped and gazed at each other. Diana looked away first. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I shouldn't have gone on that mission in my condition. I..." The rush of words was stopped by a finger pressing lightly on her lips.

"No, I should apologize to you. I shouldn't have yelled at you, and called you callous and irresponsible..."

Shaking her head, she grabbed the hand impeding her speech, and, cradling his strong, big hand in hers smaller, softer ones, she looked at him. "No, you shouldn't have yelled at me, and you hurt my feelings when you called me callous and irresponsible," she motioned for him to stay quiet. "But I was wrong to insist on going on such a mission...I can only say that hearing you prohibiting me to go made something spark inside me..." she smiled ruefully.

Cocking an eyebrow, Bruce said "It seems that my high handedness provoked the indipendent Amazon in you, and the Amazon stubbornly decided that contradicting me was the thing to do," he finished with a grin.

"Why, you...!" Diana never finished the sentence, as she was tackled by Bruce, and found herself pinned on her back by his big warm body.

"So, this is how you plan to win all our fights?" asked Diana wryly.

"No, _this_ is how I plan to win," replied Bruce, bending his head and capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

_  
A long while later_...

"Well, if this is your plan, then I look forward to our next argument..."

"Anytime, Princess, anytime..."


	17. Bargain

A/N: trying my hand with introducing a new (for me) character in my writings; hope he will not apear too OOC.

Thanks to all my reader and to the reviews, and to my awesome beta Lady Isis.

As always, don't own a thing.

* * *

XVII. Bargain

"Ahem..."

'_Finally! It's been half an hour since he got here,_' thought Bruce. Since Clark had finally worked up the courage to gain his attention, he magnanimously decided to not let him stew further.

"What do you want, Kent?" asked Bruce, swiveling his large chair to face Clark.

"Ah...I was wondering if you could do me a favour..."

Bruce, dressed in his costume sans cowl, cocked an eyebrow, and waited for Clark to explain himself. Under his close scrutiny, Bruce saw Clark fidgeting...looking right and left...shuffling his feet...doing anything but saying what he needed.

Beginning to lose his patience, Bruce barked, "Talk or leave."

He regretted his outburst somewhat, because the look of hurt on Clark's face made him feel like he had kicked a friendly puppy.

Sighing, he tried another approach. "Look, Kent, I have patrol, so I don't have time to hear you out, therefore say what you have to, _now_."

Still uncomfortable, Clark fidgeted a bit more ...But seeing the beginnings of a batglare on Bruce's face, he burst out suddenly with, "I have a date with Lois!"

Leaning his jaw on his hands, Bruce replied in a bored-sounding voice, "Congratulations - you finally asked her out. How does that affect me?"

"Well, I was thinking of taking Lois to the Velvet Room..."

"Expensive choice. Waiting list is a mile long."

"Well, yes I know, but since it's her first date with Clark Kent, I would like it to be somewhere special... So, I was wondering..."

Another cocked eyebrow from the Dark Knight warned the Man of Steel that they hadn't got all night.

"IwaswonderingifBruceWaynecouldhelpuswithareservationforSaturdayevening!" with a speed that would have made Wally proud, Clark finished his request, and waited with baited breath for Bruce's reply.

After a while, without any visible reaction, Bruce said, "Fine, I'll help you with the reservation. Wait!" He stopped Clark from hugging him from joy with a batglare. "I have two conditions."

"Anything!" grinned Clark.

Bruce smirked. "If you say so. One, for the next month, you will restrain yourself from making speeches longer than ten minutes during the weekly Founders' meeting."

Clark blanched. "But-!"

"No buts. Second, you will take my monitor duties for two consecutive Saturdays after your date with Lois."

Seeing Clark's expression, Bruce felt a little twinge of guilt. '_But what the hell! If I have to do it, let's go for broke,_' Bruce chuckled inwardly. "Those are my conditions - take it or leave it."

Still looking dejected, Bruce saw Clark debating within himself the pros and cons, but he knew that in the end Lois would prevail.

"Fine, I'll take it."

Still smirking, Bruce said, "Look happier - you're going on a date with the woman of your dreams."

"Yeah, but..."

"Do we have a deal?" asked Bruce, thrusting his hand to Clark.

"Deal," replied Clark, shaking Bruce's hand and causing an inward wince in the human. "I'll leave you to your patrol now. See you at the next meeting," he added with a grimace.

Clark's discomfort caused another chuckle from Bruce, and with a last farewell, Clark left.

Returning to his files, Bruce thought of arranging a table with the best view, and a complimentary bottle of champagne for the lovebirds... After all, it had taken Clark long enough to work up enough courage to ask Lois on a date, and if he could add a little bit something to it, then why not? Also, even with the two conditions, Clark would still owe him big time...


	18. Shopping

A/N: thanks to Lady Isis for the beta, and hope you'll recover soon from the flu!

Also thanks to Anna for the kind review, and a special thank to HawkAngel: you're my greatest supporter, and the only one who has given me a review for almost every chapter! Thank you again.

Many thanks also to all that have read, reviewed and marked my story.

As usual, don't own a thing 'cept the story.

* * *

XVIII. Shopping

"Alfred, please stop the car."

"Master Bruce?"

"I'll walk to work from here, you can go home now."

"Very well, Master Bruce."

Eyeing the direction Bruce had taken, Alfred chuckled inwardly.

Waiting until the Bentley was out of sight, Bruce strolled nonchalantly along the street, stopping strategically to glance at the displays. When he saw the coast was relatively clear, he proceeded swiftly toward his target.

He didn't know why, but this morning, on the way to work, he was idly gazing through the window at the blurring shop windows, when suddenly this store had come into focus. He had felt compelled to get inside, so he dismissed Alfred. But now that he had entered the shop, he was at a loss about what to do...

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Diana exited the bathroom, toweling her wet hair. She had just finished her shift, and was looking forward to a relaxing dinner with Bruce before he left for patrol. The bedroom was devoid of its master's presence. She presumed that Bruce was probably changing, or was already downstairs. She was walking toward the closet to find a dress to wear to dinner, when a shopping bag, starkingly white against the dark coverlet, attracted her attention. Unable to hold her curiosity, she looked left and right, wincing when she realized she was waiting for Bruce to caught her redhanded. Giving herself a mental rebuke, Diana approached the bed and took the bag.

Sitting of the edge of the bed, she opened the bag and peeked inside. Disbelief appeared on her face, and she swiftly upended the bag, spilling its contents on the bed. Still not believing her eyes, she examined the things laying on the bed: a teddy bear and baby blanket set, and a cute little stuffed black bat. There were also four pairs of little baby booties: two pink and two blue. Seeing the baby items scattered on the bed, Diana was unable to control her emotions, and felt tears gathering is her eyes.

Bruce chose that instant to barge in the room: seeing a tearful Diana, he stopped in his tracks and immediately sought the cause of her distress. When he saw the baby items, he mentally groaned. _Uh-oh, busted..._

"Princess...if you don't like them, I'll take them back tomorrow..."

Diana was shaking her head vigorously before he finished the sentence. "No, it's not that. Pregnancy hormones."

Bruce nodded, relived.

"Besides, they're all so cute! I wouldn't have taken you for the type of man shopping in a baby store..." finished Diana with a teasing smile.

Bruce looked slightly embarassed, and blurted, "Well, this morning on the drive to work I happened to notice this shop and..."

He was stopped from further embarrassing himself by a kiss on the cheek. "No need to explain, I understand. But you have to promise me that next time you will take me with you."

"What?!" exclaimed an alarmed Bruce. "Do you have any objections about Bruce Wayne being seen in a baby shop with me?" asked Diana in a deceptively calm voice.

Bruce gulped, and answer with a hurried, "No, of course not."

"Good, then is settled," replied Diana, happy again.

_Note to self: never ever contradict a woman with Amazon sized pregnancy hormones..._


	19. Breakfast with Batman

A/N: thanks to Lady Isis for the beta - somebody was right to call you a beta machine :D

Don't own a thing except the story.

* * *

XIX. Breakfast with Batman

Sunlight from the shaded French doors poured onto the bed, heralding the arrival of a bright new day. The smell of coffee and bacon tickled the senses of the still-slumbering figure on the bed.

The first thing Diana noticed was the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee. Coffee addiction was a vice of Man's World she had gladly succumbed to. The second thing she noticed was that the other side of the bed was empty; judging from the cold sheets, it had been empty for a while. Reaching for her robe at the foot of the bed, she pulled it on. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she followed the enticing scents in search of her errant husband.

Entering the kitchen, Diana saw her husband...slaving in front of the stove. Thinking this was probably a once in a lifetime occasion, Diana decided to commit the whole scene to her memory.

Bruce, dressed in tide black jeans and a black turtleneck, white socks peeking out but with no shoes on, was even more mouth-watering than the breakfast he was putting on. Grinning inwardly, Diana decided not to tell her husband that, lest he be disappointed that he had gone through the trouble of preparing her an unappreciated breakfast.

Momentarily distracted by the omelette preparations, Bruce was not quick as usual to sense his princess's presence at his back.

"You're awake," he smiled when he had. "Breakfast is almost ready, could you please set the table?"

"Sure, just tell me where to get the plates and cutlery."

Following Bruce's instructions, Diana set the table, poured two mugs of her newfound favorite, fragrant hazelnut coffee, and two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. Bruce put two plates of food down, each piled hight with pancakes, bacon and hash browns on the table, then turned back to the stove, and took two plates with fluffy golden omelettes, setting one before Diana, and one at his own place. After Bruce was seated, they attacked their food with gusto.

"Where is Alfred?" she asked.

"On vacation, he decided to leave a few days early." At Diana's cocked eyebrow, Bruce said defensively, "What, it is so unbelievable that even Alfred needs some time for himself, away from the manor and Gotham?"

"No, it is not. But I'd think that you would have to coerce him to take a vacation and abandon you to your fate," grinned Diana.

"You're right, I had to threaten to move to the suite in Wayne Tower for a month... without him, to convince him to take a 10 day vacation," replied Bruce with a grimace.

Reaching across the table, Diana took his hand. "Don't worry, I'm sure Alfred understands."

Bruce turned his hand and squeezed hers lightly. "Thank you, Princess."

Diana answered with a bright smile.

They ate in silence for a while, when Diana spoke. "I didn't know you were so good at cooking. But then again perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Is there anything that you haven't mastered?" she asked, half-annoyed.

Suprised, Bruce looked at her while replying, "I learned to cook during my traveling years."

"I thought Alfred would have followed to take care of you."

"Yes, at the beginning he traveled with me. But with my destinations getting more and more remote, I didn't feel it was fair to ask him to continue traveling, so I roved alone for many years. Since I had nobody to help me, it was learning or starving."

"According to Alfred, you were a disaster in the kitchen."

"That was a long time ago," he said with a self-deprecatory smirk. "And when I got back in Gotham after my travels, I hadn't had many opportunities to cook by myself," replied a red-faced Bruce.

Diana smiled at him appreciatively. "Oh, so you didn't tell Alfred that you could take very well care of yourself if needed, because you know that he likes to fuss over you," she surmised. "And you didn't want to hurt his feelings or make him feel like you didn't need him anymore. And that," she added, "is one of the reasons I love you so much: you care so much about your family," finished Diana, kissing him on the cheek.

The redness on his face becoming more pronounced, Bruce grumbled, "Eat your breakfast, Princess..."

With a large Cheshire cat grin, Diana finished every bite of her breakfast.


	20. The Bat and the Wing

A/N: I apologize for the lateness, but I had been (again) busy recently. So, to compensate, I have posted three one-shot with a common theme. Please enjoy and review!

As usual, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta Lady Isis (looking forward for new updates on all your stories!), and to all my reviewers. Thank you all, you give me a reason to continue!

Disclamer: the usual works.

* * *

XX. The Bat and the Wing

Part 1 - Dinner at Wayne Manor

"How many this month?"

"None."

"Wow, must be a new record!" said the voice, relief hardly concealing the teasing undertone.

"Watch it, Kent!" growled the menacing voice of the Bat, too finely tuned in with the Boy Scout's mood and tone of voice not to hear the hidden layers.

Grinning like a kid who got away with a prank, and not at all worried by the Bat's growl, Superman flew to a hidden alcove and put the new prototype batmobile down.

Bruce was going through the routine maintenance of his veritable collection of bat-vehicles, and since time was of the essence, he had decided to ask Clark to give him a hand.

From the moment Superman arrived, Batman began to regret his decision.

_Super strength and maneuverability doesn't compensate for all the brain cells I must expend trying not to be annoyed by his comments!_ groaned Bruce inwardly.

Also, although their long acquaintance has afforded Clark an understanding of Bruce's moods and behavior, there were still times when a precise, sharp comment from the Bat would cut into the sometimes naive heart of the Kryptonian. And, Bruce hated to admit, seeing the kicked puppy-like look of hurt on Clark's face still made his conscience twinge - just a little, mind you - but for the Big Bad Bat, the scourge of Gotham's Underworld, even that twinge was something worth noticing. So, Bruce was trying very hard to rein the Bat from sprouting too harsh comments. He had to remind the Bat that even the most patient and even-tempered person has his limits; and although Clark's character has been moulded by his farm-boy upbringing, he still was the mightiest meta on Earth. And the Bat, for all his badassness, wasn't invulnerable. So, if he could avoid it, he'd rather not have any of his bat-vehicles dropped 'accidentaly' on top of him.

"How many more?"

"We're almost finished. I need to upload the schematics of my new Batwing..."

"Didn't you say that you haven't crashed any this month?" asked a puzzled Superman.

"This one is a new model with some new electronics and prototype weaponry I have to test."

"And the old one?"

"Recycled..." mumble Batman uncharacterestically.

"What?" asked Superman again, pretending not to have heard the mumbled answer.

"You heard the first time, Kent!" growled a very annoyed Bat.

"Just wanted to make sure!" Another teeth-grinding grin from the Man of Steel.

Deciding that the sooner they finished the sooner he could rid himself of his progressively annoying helper, Bruce concentrated on the task at hand, totally ignoring Clark except for the occasional barked direction.

Finally, all the tasks were completed, and the Bat was gleefully ready to boot the Boy Scout out of the cave when a dry voice issued from the shadows of the stairs, with perfect British propriety, "I hope you have asked Master Kent to join you for dinner this evening, Master Bruce."

Perfectly understanding the 'advice', Bruce sighed, resigned, and looking at the expectant Clark, said, "I hope you will stay for dinner, Clark."

"I wouldn't miss Alfred's fabulous cooking for anything in the world!" replied Clark with a boyish smile, then added sheepishily, "But please don't tell Ma I have said that."

"Don't worry, Master Kent. I'm glad to have guests who appreciate my culinary efforts, when someone," pointed look to the master of the cave, "has done everthing to convince me that my cooking is...forgettable. Therefore you can rest sure that my lips are sealed, and I can vouch that not a word will come from Master Bruce."

"Thanks a lot, Alfred. And don't worry, anytime you need to feel appreciated for you cooking, give me call, and I'll be here in no time!"

"I appreciate your offer, Master Kent. For today's dinner I have made you your favorite: Beef Bourguinon with ketchup on the side."

"Alfred, you are an angel. Does Bruce know how lucky he is to have you?" stated Superman, enveloping the aging Wayne butler in a bear hug which the Englishman stood stiffly through. British decorum and all that.

"I haven't heard it recently, so I would be much obliged if you could remind him, from time to time, Master Kent," came the reply, with Alfred's only outward reaction expressed through eyes twinkling with amusement.

Having been sidelined and completely ignored, the Bat was eyeing coldly the exchange between his trusted butler and one of the few metas he trusted. Finally, growing impatient with them, he begun to climb the stairs. The other two, after exchanging an amused glance, followed him upstairs, Clark ready to enjoy his meal, and Alfred looking forward to an evening filled with laughter and good humor. Not your typical evening at Wayne Manor, mind you.

* * *

Part 2 - Expert on the Subject

"Batman to all points. I could use some air support. Since I can't fly. At all. Now would be good." -- JLU S1, Ep.10: Dark Heart

Bruce awoke with a start. He tried to sit up, but his body felt like it had been used as a sandbag, and his head felt like somebody had stomped on it a couple of times. Waiting for the shaft of pain to subside, he took stock of his surroundings. He was at home, in his bed. He could feel his ribs taped and bandaged, and had probably been sedated, because he was still feeling a little bit groggy. Fortunately he was sure he had no broken limbs, but his left ankle felt swollen, so it was probably sprained. His head hurt a lot, and when he reached for his forehead, he touched bandages lightly soaked with blood, so it was probable that he also had a concussion. All in all, not the worst he'd ever had.

He looked at the clock on his nightstand: 1:25 in the morning. He knew that patrol was out of the question in his present condition, but was confident that Alfred would have contacted Dick and asked Nightwing to help Robin and Batgirl with patrol. He tried to relax, knowing that all he could do now was rest, and try to recover as soon as possible...

The second time he woke up he was still feeling cranky and in pain. The clock showed 4:00 in the morning. He reflected on the irony of the situation: the only times he got to spend the whole night in his own bed was when he was injured and recuperating. _Hell of a lifestyle, that's for sure_, he thought grimly.

Noticing a faint glimmer of light from the corner of his eye, he tried to get on his side to see if anyone was there.

"Ouch!" Unfortunately his body was in a worse shape than he thought, and he felt all his muscles stiff and aching, making it impossible for him to move much.

"Don't try to move, you have bruises and contusions all over your body," interjected the soft, feminine voice of an angel.

"Diana?"

"Ssshhh, try to relax and go back to sleep. You need to rest." Diana sat on the edge of the bed, pushing him back.

"Please, would you...stay with me?"

"Of course I will," she replied, caressing his hair softly.

"No, come lie here...in bed with me."

"Why, Mr. Wayne, are you hitting on me?" said Diana with forced lightness, batting her eyelashes flirtingly.

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Mrs. Wayne. As if I could do anything in this condition."

"Then you should shut up and go back to sleep, something that would not happen if I got into that bed too..." continued Diana with the same tone.

"Please, I just want to hold you..."

Hearing his pleading tone, so uncharacteristic for Bruce or the Bat, Diana relented. She climbed on the bed, and settled gingerly beside Bruce, trying not to jost him. "I'm not responsible if I accidentaly roll on anything bruised or battered," she warned him.

"Don't worry, I'll remember that I asked for it. Now come here," he replied, opening his arm and making space for her.

"But...your ribs!" protested Diana.

"Your weight is not going to crack them worse than they are now...unless you lean purposely on me... So come here."

"They are broken, not cracked, and how do you know I'm not going to _accidentaly_ lean on them?" asked Diana, cocking one eyebrow.

"You can't lie worth a damn, Princess, and I can't find a mean bone on your body; trust me, I'm an expert on the subject," replied Bruce with a leer.

Diana finally laught without strain, and Bruce was glad to have changed her mood; it would save him the dreaded lecture he always got when he got hurt.

Boy was he wrong.

After she settled herself cozily against Bruce's side, with her head pillowed on his chest, Bruce felt so peaceful and relaxed, and he was drifting into sleep when Diana ambushed him.

"It was my intention to wait until morning, but since you're awake... How could you? What in Hades were you thinking?" asked the Amazon Princess, her voice deceptively soft, but with a hint of repressed anger.

"Princess?" asked Bruce, already half asleep.

"Don't _Princess_ me. How could you do it again and again?"

"I...don't understand what you mean..."

"Don't play dumb with me, it's not worthy of the World's Greatest Detective."

"I'm not playing, I really don't know what you are angry about."

"Now you know that I'm angry with you."

"Well... you always get angry when I'm wounded..."

"This time I'm extra angry at you because you could have avoided it!"

"Avoided... what...?"

"You could have avoided crashing the Batwing... _again_!"

"But... it was an emergency..."

"You know what, Bruce? Since I came to Man's World and joined the League, how many Batwings have you crashed? _Not _counting those you crashed before?"

"... I don't know, I don't keep count of them..."

"Because they are too many! It seems you have a pechant for crashing Batwings. Or _other _flying objects for the matter," huffed Diana, refering not only to the the first Watchtower, but also to Javelins.

"Princess... try to understand... it was a mission..."

"I understand the demands of dangerous missions, but it seems that when you are on the Batwing, you become reckless. Why, the first time we met Wally was handing you a torn wing!"

Not giving Bruce the time to reply, Diana carried on her tirade. "And there was that time in Kasnia when you wrecked the 'wing while taking out my attackers."

She paused. "You know, at the time I found it very romantic of you. My Dark Knight in Nomex-Kevlar armour, wrecking his steed to save the princess in distress." She let out a cheerless laugh. "But as the years passed, I begun to see that you seemed to have a deathwish. Against the alien nanorobot invaders, if Clark hadn't made it, you would have been dead."

She sighed. "But the worst time was when you stopped that kryptonite tipped cruise missile. That was the first time I saw you so battered." Her voice broke with tears, and she lifted her head to look at Bruce. "That was the first time I feared for your life. Up to then, I had almost forgot that you were a human. But that incident showed me that you're only human, with an incredible mind and body, but still a human."

She lowered her head again, not wanting to see Bruce's expression when she delivered her ultimatum.

"Now we are married, and we have children on the way. I feel that I'm not that important to you...."

Bruce wanted to contradict her, but she had already retreated to the edge of the bed.

"But please... for the sake of the children... please don't let them lose their father before even knowing him... Don't condemn them to the same fate you had..."

Bruce caught her wrist before she left the bed, and willed his body to move and bring her at his side. He cupped her chin with his hand, and tilted her to face him. His heart contracted painfully when he saw her face, wet with tears. "Diana... don't _ever_ say that you are not important to me." He wiped her tears with his fingertips. "Before you came into my life, I'll admit it... The mission was the only thing I cared about. To protect myself from further loss and hurt, I closed my heart to all emotions."

Bruce tucked Diana's raven tresses behind her ear. "I hurt a lot of people who care for me... in a misguided attempt to save myself."

Gazing into her light blue eyes, Bruce saw her love shining brightly, a love mirrored in his own heart. "Diana... knowing your feelings for me have nurtured my soul all these years. I know that I've been selfish, using your feelings to sustain myself, without giving you anything in return."

He enveloped Diana closer into his embrace, overcoming her initial resistance, and tucked her face into the crook of his neck. He buried his face into her fragrant hair, and Diana felt a light kiss lovingly given.

"Diana... never think that I don't love you enough. You and the twins, Alfred and Leslie, Jim, Dick and Barbara, Tim and Cassandra... you're all my family. A family from which I have spent years trying to close my heart to." He sighed, and hugged Diana even closer. "But you have made me understand that I couldn't continue to live my life in that way. You don't remember it, but I have seen the future... _my future_. And it made me rethink the choices I have been making at the time. And I came to the conclusion that I didn't want that future..."

He paused, for so long that Diana lifted her eyes to Bruce's, and thought she saw a shadow of regret on his face, quickly masked. She was beginning to ask Bruce about the future when he continued. "There is only one thing that I regret about changing that future... but compared to not having you in my life... it was no choice at all," he began to caress Diana's hair. "So you see, I have worked hard for us to be where we are now, and you can be sure that I'm not going to jepardize our future together, and the future of our family, by dying and leaving you alone."

Diana sensed that Bruce was at the limit of his strength; it was a testament to his willpower that he had been able to sit up and talk to her for so long with a concussion and broken ribs. So she coaxed him to lie down. "I'm sorry to have forced this discussion in your state, Bruce, but I'm glad we had this conversation. Now rest."

"Only if you stay with me," said Bruce, already slipping into a therapeutic sleep.

"Forever, my love. Forever," she whispered, watching him sleep.

* * *

Part 3 - Flight lessons

"Good morning, Master Bruce. I have brought you coffee and your morning paper."

Alfred's voice, coupled with the sunlight pouring into his room from the French doors, dispelled the last traces of sleepiness from Bruce's mind.

"Thanks, Alfred. Although I would have liked to be able to sleep in, since I don't have a meeting until one this afternoon..." mumbled Bruce under his breath.

"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but Master Lucius called early this morning... about a new aerial transporter for your night job...?" replied Alfred, cocking an eyebrow.

"Damn, I'd forgotten. Lucius was going to send me the new 'wing for testing today... Alright, Alfred, we have a busy day ahead. Cancel my meeting this afternoon. I don't think I'll have time to go to the office before patrol."

"Very well, Master Bruce. I'll call the office immediately, and arrange with Master Lucius for the delivery of your new vehicle."

"Thank you Alfred. I'll be in the cave."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pardon my curiosity, Master Bruce, but usually it doesn't take you a whole day to test a new prototype."

"Er...that's because testing the prototype will not be the only thing on my agenda today..." replied Bruce.

Alfred noticed his ward's reticence in the providing the explanation, and with his knowledge of Bruce's character, matured during the long years taking care of him made Alfred aware that the master was somehow... embarrassed. _Curiouser and curiouser,_ he smirked inwardly. Deciding the let the matter drop for the moment, he left the Cave to prepare a light snack and a pot of fresh coffee.

Relieved that Alfred had decided not to pursue the issue, Bruce returned to the schematics on the computer. But today something was providing distraction to his usually focused mind... and that distraction was dressed in blue and red, could fly, had super strength... but was decidedly _not_ the Big Blue Boy Scout, with her long, long legs and long raven hair... Bruce Wayne let out a somewhat dreamy sigh, but then the Bat jumped to the forefront and nipped in the bud any fanciful daydreams Bruce Wayne could have been entertaining of the princess. Bruce tried to put up a feeble protest at the Bat's high-handedness, but a mental batglare quieted any protests before they could be voiced.

The Bat, being the Bat, had been suspicious of the Amazon princess from the first moment they met, during the invasion by the parasites from Mars. Her origins were a bit too fantastic to be credible for a man of science like him, although to be fair he didn't discount the existence of magic in the world. So he had decided to keep an eye on the newcomer, and to update his protocol against metas with hers and the Martian's - J'onn's - data. So far they both had been trying to understand this world they found themselves defending, and neither of them seemed to be likely to become a threat to Earth. But the Bat was reserving judgement on them, even when Bruce was beginning to consider them in the same class as the Boy Scout: metas who could be trusted... up to a point.

So he had been very suprised when the princess had approached him with a highly unsual request: teach her how to fly the Javelin.

Some of his astonishment must had surfaced through his usual stoic mask, because the princess had immediately sold out her co-conspirator: it had been in fact _Kal_'s idea for her to ask Batman to teach her such a skill, since the Boy Scout himself seldom flew aerial vehicles, prefering his own means. The Flash was out of question, and she didn't even know if he could fly the Javelin. She wasn't too confortable asking J'onn or the Green Lantern, and she didn't know Hawkgirl that well to ask her.

The Bat had been highly suspicious of her reasoning: if Green Lantern, the Flash, the Martian and Hawkgirl had all been struck out as possible instructors, what had made her choose _him_, the most improbable one to be asked to mentor anybody? When he had succumbed to his own curiosity and asked her the question, the princess had surprised him again with her answer: having become fast friends with Superman, she had been also surprised to hear him recommend the Dark Knight as her flight instructor. When she had asked him the reason for his recommendation, Superman had simply replied, "He's the best, and if you want to learn quickly and efficiently, you need the best teacher you can find."

The Bat experienced different emotions hearing the princess's retelling: on one side, he was slightly flattered by Clark's high opinion of him; on the other side, he was annoyed to have been saddled with an unwanted pupil for the time being. There was also a tiny kernel of suspicion in his mind, one he chose to ignore at the time. He was about to tell the princess that he couldn't waste time helping her, but one look at those big, baby blue eyes of hers, full of expectation and hope, and even the Bat had been a goner. He didn't even remember to having made an appointment with the princess for this evening, for their first lesson. Since today's monitor duty roster was Diana, Clark and J'onn, this was the perfect day for it, since she didn't want to attract the attention of the other members yet.

After he finished reviewing the schematics, Alfred had returned with the coffee and sandwiches, so after a light meal he went to shower and change into his costume, in preparation for going to the Watchtower.

When he stepped out of the changing room, he saw Alfred standing before the Cray, looking at him with a strange expression on his face. Curious but not alarmed, he approached Alfred, still adjusting the fit of his gauntlets.

"Is something the matter, Alfred?"

"While you were changing, Master Bruce, you were paged through your League communicator. I... took the liberty of answering, since I expected to find Master Kent calling you..." When Alfred paused again, and with an amused expression barely concealed on his face, Bruce began to dread his next sentence. "Instead, it was this nice young lady - Miss Diana, she said her name was - calling for you, and she asked me to remind you that she's expecting you at the Watchtower this evening," finished Alfred, a light smirk taking place of his usual impassive expression.

Bruce groaned inwardly, and tried to make a fast escape, before Alfred could grill him about the 'nice young lady'. No such luck.

"I must say Master Bruce, Miss Diana is so polite, and beautiful too. I hadn't realize that you were going to find any female friends of such high calibre when Master Kent formed the League. To think, if this is all that it takes for you to meet someone nice, why, we could have formed a league of superheroes long ago..."

"Alfred, you're babbling. And you're mistaken, Wonder Woman and I are not having a date this evening."

"Wonder Woman! What an appropriate and delightful name! You have to invite the young lady to the manor for tea sometime in the near future... let's say... next week!"

"Alfred..."

"If you can wait half an hour longer, sir, I will prepare something for you to take to the Watchtower, for you and Miss Diana to eat together...."

"Alfred!" growled the Bat.

"Yes, sir?"

"Alfred, I'm trying to explain that there is nothing between Diana and I!"

"Not like what I'm thinking, sir?"

"Yes! She asked me to teach her to fly the Javelin, and today is our first lesson."

"Hmm. So nothing remotely romantic about it," Alfred said dryly.

"_No_," Bruce emphasised.

"Oh, disappoint an old man, will you, Master Bruce," rebuffed Alfred with his usual unflappable tone.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you wouldn't let me explain the situation. I'm off to the Watchtower now, but I will be back in time for patrol. If I'm late..."

"I will contact Master Dick and ask him to fill in for you," nodded Alfred, without missing a beat.

"You know the drill, Alfred. Contact me if there is any emergency or if the bat-signal goes off."

"Very well, sir. Now off you go. It wouldn't do to make a lady wait for you... even if it is not a date."

With a nod to Alfred, Batman climbed into the 'wing and took off.

When he arrived to the Watchtower, Batman found Wonder Woman and Superman waiting for him in the hangar. Without further ado, Bruce motioned to Wonder Woman to get into the 'wing, and their the first lesson began...

_  
Three hours later..._

Superman and Batman were in the control room, tracking Wonder Woman's first solo flight on the Batwing.

"So, this is what you intended when you told me you recycled your old Batwing," said the Boy Scout with a grin.

Batman sent him a sideways glare. "It's none of your business, Kent, but in this case - yes."

After a moment of silence, Batman resumed the conversation. "I've heard from the princess what you told her to convince her to ask me to give her flight lessons."

"So, were you flattered?" asked Superman with another grin.

"You managed to surprise me with the recommendation," Batman admitted. "But then I realized that there was another, more important reason you chose me as teacher, instead of all the others. A reason that you couldn't explain to the princess without revealing my identity."

"And that reason is...?"

"Since I financed all of the League's equipment, I would have only myself to blame if the princess wrecked or destroyed anything under my tutelage, instead of taking it on any of you if damage had occurred otherwise," replied Bruce knowingly.

"Nothing really escapes the World's Greatest Detective. And yes, that's the reason main reason I recommended you, and yes, I couldn't tell Diana the truth. But all's well that ends well, and your pupil has already mastered flight with the 'wing, which is more complicated than the Javelin. I say she's ready to move... uh, _down _a gear."

"Right. Since it's already time for patrol, I'll leave the Javelin tutoring to you, Kent."

"But..."

"No buts, Kent. I have to go."

"Alright Bruce, see you..." But he was already speaking to an empty room. Shrugging, he turned back to the monitor, an amused grin on his face.

* * *

A/N2: Beef Bourguinon with ketchup is the Silver Age Superman's favorite dish, as I found surfing around, so I used it. If you find any updates on Clark's favorite dish, please let me know!


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